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ArmorGroup North America first came under scrutiny as the contracting firm at the center of a recent scandal over inappropriate behavior by security guards at the U.S. embassy in Kabul (above).
Reuters

Gordon and another former employee, John Gorman, also claim that ArmorGroup lied about its abilities and low-balled its bid in order to win the $187 million-a-year contract to provide security services to the U.S. embassy in Kabul. But instead of properly vetting the company and its capabilities, the pair said, the State Department and its contracting team – still reeling from abuses committed by Blackwater Worldwide and other contractors in Iraq -- gave ArmorGroup a free pass.

“AGNA won the security contract by submitting a ridiculously low bid that basically ignored operational realities,” Gorman told reporters during a press conference Thursday at which Gordan’s lawsuit was handed out.

Gorman, a retired Marine who managed the guard force at the embassy in 2007, said he and two other managers, James Sauer and Pete Martino, tried to get the company to fix the problems in Kabul. For instance, scrimping led to long shifts at the embassy and the hiring of trainees who were made to participate in hazing activities, he said. In addition, he said ArmorGroup claimed to have more personnel than it actually did and also claimed to run a training facility and firing range “that just didn’t exist.” The company also hired guards who had no basic training or military experience, he alleged.

“All of these claims that they made, made them look better than their competitors,” Gorman said.

When Gorman, Sauer and Martino told ArmorGroup about the problems and requested additional resources to help correct them, Gorman said, Vice President of Operations Michael O’Connell responded in a March 2007 e-mail that “AGNA bid this at a very low price and a very low margin,” and not to expect any changes.

The e-mail was contained in Gordan’s lawsuit.

Finally, two and a half months after he was hired, Gorman, Sauer and Martino took their complaints to an embassy official, Gorman said. The following day, he said, the three men awoke to the sound of O’Connell knocking on their doors with airline tickets in hand, and they were fired.

Gorman alleged that the drive to cut costs led to significant compromises in security at the embassy, including paying low wages to foreign guards who spoke little English. The company told the State Department it had interpreters who could provide translation, but English-speaking employees of the company said they routinely had problems communicating with AmorGroup’s Afghan employees.

Asked whether State Department assertions that security had not lapsed at the embassy because of all the problems, Gordon was incredulous.

“How can you effectively respond to a security situation when you now suddenly have to get into the scenario of having to use pantomime to convey a message to a member of the security force?” Gordon said. “It is ludicrous to think that is a safe environment and that is an effective security force.”

At least eight guards have been fired at the embassy since last week’s allegations surfaced, and the State Department is investigating.

Readers' Comments (5)

Our occupation of Afghanistan is doing more harm than good and in fact inspires anti-American terrorism. For instance, recently convicted terrorist Abdulla Ahmed Ali explained in his martyrdom video that he aimed to blow up US-bound passenger jets in revenge for our troops in Muslim lands. He said, "Enough is enough." "We have warned you so many times to get out of our land and leave us alone. You have persisted in trying to humiliate, kill, and destroy us." "Yes, taste that which you have made us taste for a long time."

Afghan President Karzai has stated that he wants us to stop the air attacks which kill civilians, and he wants to make peace with the Taliban. In a March 2009 PBS interview, Karzai said that "the Taliban are not enemies of Afghanistan or of the Afghan people. They are just countryside folks...Afghans." One must remember that it was not the Taliban who hit us on 9/11. In fact the Taliban condemned the 9/11 attacks and, as reported on BBC and others (9/13/01), the Taliban offered to hand over Osama bin Laden if the US provided clear and substantial evidence of his involvement. It is noteworthy that the Taliban had been working successfully with the UN to ban opium poppy cultivation. In 1999, Afghanistan produced 4,000 tons of opium, 75% of the world's supply. Then Mullah Mohammed Omar, the Taliban supreme leader banned opium poppies, calling it un-Islamic, and jailing farmers until they agreed to destroy their crops. Farmers switched to other crops like wheat and onions, and in 2001 Afghanistan's opium crop was down to 185 tons.

Unfortunately, we ignored the Taliban offer to help us capture bin Laden, and we invaded instead. Now Afghanistan produces 90% of the world's opium, and bin Laden is still free. President Obama says our mission in Afghanistan is to go after Al Qaeda, but Al Qaeda is now in Pakistan where our troops are not allowed. Furthermore, Al Qaeda has spread around the globe to places like Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Mali, Mauritania, etc. We can't occupy the whole world. Addressing legitimate grievances of the Muslim world by ending our occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan and ending Israel's occupations is a far better way to combat terrorism.

Sanford is disgusting disgrace and Joe Wilson disrespect for the President in showing the world how these red-neck haters operate on public TV. We the people call for kicking them both out of office. Sanford does not care about his people or his wife. Wilson has no respect for the office he serves or the American people.

The president is absolutely right when it comes to these stupid republican. The president cannot reach a middle ground when these folks will not step up for the good of the nation.

Do they really think the president to step to them? No, I think republicans should stop thinking their mess don't stink and step off their high horse for the betterment of the American people.

Many are now rallying to get this Public healthcare work. The republicans were sleeping, texting and reading. They did not give a dam about the president’s speech. So, people if you are not making progress and not moving in any direction get the hell out of the so that this president can do the jog the American people voted him and all the other politician for.

REPUBLICANS NEEDS TO DROP THE CRAP. MEET THE PRESIDEDNT AND CLEAR THE AIR or GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY AND ALLOWs AMERICA'S HELTHCARE TO MOVE ON. Many are in need.

We are all sorry for Sanford's family. We are not sorry for Joe Wilson. His was not a mistake he was purposeful, no matter what he said. Neither should be in any office representing we the American people. GET THM THEM HELL OUT!!!

JOE WILSON ACTUALY SHOWED WHAT THESE REPUBLICANS ARE ALL ABOUT. THEY HAVE NO RESPECT FOR THEMSELVES, THE OFFICE THEY HOLD OR THE PRESIDENT OF THESE UNITED STATES. WILL WILL GET NOWHERE NEITHER WILL SANFORD. THEY ARE FINISHED.

I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THE GOOD OLD PARTY ARE BIGOTS, THEY HATE PRESIDENT OBAMA AND THEY DISRESPECT THE PRESIDENT AT ANY CHANCE THEY GET. THESE CROONIES ARE ABOUT BEING RACIST. THE REPUBLICANS ARE ALWAYS SHOWING A LACK OF RESPECT FOR THIS BLACK PRESIDENT. THESE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO TAKE THE COUNTRY BACK TO THE DARK AGES OF HATERS prejudice to the MAXIMUM LEVEL. These people are a total disgrace to this nation. NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.

Perhaps now would be the time to start counting the contractors as soldiers so the American public will understand just how many folks are over there winning hearts and minds. This country is so bankrupt...both financially and morally. No wonder we are a joke around the world.

I would really like to see the change so I, too, can believe in it. Just how long will it take to start?